Tabulated solutions of stress intensity factor and elastic crack opening displacement for elbow joints with practical through-wall cracks

Abstract

Various fracture mechanics parameters should be considered for elbow design and leak-before-break assessment. In the case of a pipe with through-wall cracks (TWCs), the stress intensity factor (SIF) and elastic crack opening displacement (COD) are among the most important factors. Many studies have determined the SIF and elastic COD for idealized TWC straight and elbow pipes. However, no study has considered realistic crack geometries occurring in elbow joints. Thus, the objective of this study was to accurately predict the SIF and elastic COD of elbow joints by developing a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model for practical TWC (P-TWC). The developed FE model was then verified through comparisons with existing SIF and elastic COD solutions for idealized TWCs in elbow joints. In addition, tabulated solutions for the SIF and elastic COD were proposed by considering practical crack-geometry ranges and various loading conditions.